Instagram

“Never underestimate the value of a powerful photograph.”

What is it?

Instagram is a photo-sharing program where users can take a photo on their smart phone, apply a digital filter and then share it on a variety of social networking services including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and Foursquare.

On Instagram, users can build a community of followers as well as follow other users, much like on Twitter.

Currently Instagram is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch and Android camera phones running 2.2 (Froyo) or higher. At this time Instagram is only accessible through smartphone technology.

Fun Facts

There are over 30+ million registered users, growing at a rate of 2 million users per month.

Over 1 billion+ photos have been uploaded in total, on average 15 per second and 5 million+ photos uploaded per day

8/10 of all photos uploaded have had a filter added.

Getting Started

Download the Instagram app in the App Store on an iOS device or in Google Play for an Android device.

After installing the app, open it on your device.

Tap the ‘Sign up’ button to begin the account creation process (the ‘Sign up’ button is at the bottom left of the screen).

Best Practices

Consistent posting frequency. People should come to expect the same amount of content on a daily or weekly basis if you want to see follower growth.

Take quality pictures. That’s the medium in which Instagram operates, so people on there tend to care about it. Focus on posting interesting images with good production value. Tips for photo taking

Use Hashtags (much like on Twitter) that are specific, relevant and observant. #LMUiLEAD

Be Specific. Choosing specific tags will help you connect with other like-minded people on Instagram.

Be Relevant. Make it easy for other like-minded ‘Instagrammers to find you by making sure your tags describe your photo. Relevant tags will help you attract new followers who will take a genuine interest in your photos and continue liking and commenting on your photos over time.

Be Observant: Pay attention to the other hashtags used on photos that use the same tag as yours. You may discover a popular hashtag you hadn’t thought of on your own.

Pay attention to user-generated content. This helps increase engagement, feed your content machine, and get more followers. Engage in the conversations that are going on, both on your account and others. You can do this via likes and comments. You won’t increase your follower base by staying in your own little corner!

Integrate your Instagram strategy with other social media networks. You can use hashtags and share images on networks like Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, and Foursquare.

Choose an appropriate and accurate user name.

Have meaningful, authentic and genuine interactions. Behaviors such as self-promotion or commercial ads are not well received in this community.

Tag your location to make it easier for people to find your account when searching for you.